Beneath the Shadows
by Shadow Warriour
Summary: It had been five years since the supposed death of Uzumaki Naruto. But Sasuke didn't care whether they declared him dead or not. He never believed that for a second. He would search the ends of the world to find Naruto. And once he did, he would destroy the person responsible. —Ratings may change in the future
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, fanfic world!**

 **Here is a story I have been wanting to write since lawwwd knows when. I don't typically like writing fics that consist of the usual plots people write/read so I hope this comes off as somewhat original.**

 **Please enjoy and leave a review! I'd love feedback from all my readers!**

 **~SW~**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto belongs solely to Kishimoto. God knows what would happen if Naruto was handed over to its fan base.**

* * *

Sakura yawned, stretching her arms out above herself. It was far too early in the morning to be scheduling any sort of event. The sun was hiding behind the horizon similar to how Sakura had hid under her covers just a short while ago, not wanting to embrace the outside world for another couple of hours.

At the opposite end of the road, a dark-haired teen was having similar thoughts, rubbing his eyes and sluggishly making his way to meet that heartless man he called his sensei. If the sun hadn't even come up, Uchiha Sasuke had no reason to be wandering the streets at this ungodly hour. He was betting the man wouldn't make an appearance himself until years after the designated time only to wave it off with some lame ass excuse involving cats and old ladies.

No, Uchiha Sasuke was not having any of that this morning and would not hesitate to Sharingan the shit out of Kakashi-sensei if he so chose today to commit to his usual behavior.

"Sasuke!"

Said boy paused to glance over his shoulder, his eyes first catching sight of a pink head and then scrolling down to familiar emerald green orbs.

"Sakura," he replied in acknowledgment as she neared him.

" _Wow_ , you're actually up early for once," she teased.

He nodded in response. Talking was too much of a struggle at six in the morning.

Deciding to make that the end of their conversation, he lazily swiveled around his heel, trudging toward his original course. Every step he took required so much effort that he was starting to worry that he might just pass out in the middle of the road. He found himself unable to sleep the night before, yet again, for reasons he had long since grown accustomed to. The sleep itself wasn't all that satisfying either.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Sakura plodding in pace with him. He finally elected to entertain her with actual speech. "Is there a reason why you're still here?"

Sakura peered at him half-amused, considering whether he deserved an actual reply. "Is there a reason I can't be?"

He heaved a sigh. "Not today, Sakura."

More like not _any_ day. There was a time when he had been somewhat more responsive, when he had life in his face and a drive that was hard to match. He still had so much more potential but his motivation had died after certain events… and not long after, Sakura's infatuation with him had died too. She and several others had attempted countless times to restore that spirit he once had in him, but to no avail. In the end, she settled on letting time resolve his situation, though every so often she poked at him just to see if their was any change.

She stared up at the cloudy sky, inhaling the fresh morning air. "Kakashi sensei said he had something important to discuss."

Sasuke stopped.

Besides the usual missions that Sasuke carried out (which were typically assigned to him directly by Tsunade), Kakashi hadn't summoned both of them together for anything in a long time. The last time he did…

"Did he say what it's about?" Sasuke inquired.

Sakura briefly looked away. "No… he just said it was urgent."

A scowl formed on his face. He knew she wasn't telling him everything.

Sakura was starting to grow uncomfortable. She was a terrible liar and knew Sasuke saw right through her. Pretending like it was nothing, she just shrugged it off and began to walk away but his hand grabbed her arm, holding her in place. "Sakura."

She shoved his hand off. "We're going to be late for the meeting."

"Sakura—"

"Seriously, I don't know!"

"Fine," he said, giving up. Whatever it was, he was bound to find out soon enough anyway.

 **(✇) (✇)**

Kakashi lifted his nose from his book, seeing his two students making their way to him. Snapping his book shut, he tucked it into his vest pocket just as soon as they arrived.

"Why are we here?" Sasuke demanded as soon as he was within hearing range.

Kakashi hopped off the ledge, sliding his hands into his pockets. "How about 'good morning, Kakashi sensei?'"

Sasuke glared at his teacher, arms folded.

Kakashi sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll get to the point… You're getting a third teammate."

Sakura's brows scrunched in confusion. Kakashi hadn't mentioned this part when they had spoken prior to this meeting. "Third teammate…? Why?"

"No," Sasuke objected.

"Why don't the two of you let me finish what I have to say?"

Sasuke ignored him. "We don't need a third teammate."

"Do you even _know_ why you're getting a third teammate?" Kakashi countered.

Sasuke glowered, shrugging. It didn't matter to him what the reason was, he would not change his mind about having a third teammate. He already had a hard time opening up to people, nor did he enjoy anyone's company anyways. Things would just end badly for whoever was going to be paired with him.

"Your request to investigate Orochimaru's hideout has been approved," Kakashi said, changing his approach for this conversation.

Both their heads perked up, suddenly very attentive.

Sasuke was first to speak. "Really?"

"Yes," Kakashi confirmed. "Though it took several days of convincing… you know how Tsunade is about Orochimaru."

Sasuke became silent. "Is spying on Orichamaru her _only_ motive for this mission?"

Kakashi raised a brow. "Yes. It is. And I suggest when she calls you to discuss the mission that you don't mention anything else."

Sasuke scoffed. "We all know that's not the only reason, why bother to hide it."

Sakura had been listening all this time and was growing tired of how they were avoiding the topic. "Sasuke, look, we understand that you believe that Naruto is still alive but…"

The boy became stiff. Sakura witnessed a number of emotions running through his face. Sorrow. Grief. Distress. Hurt. But they all meshed down to one: pain.

This was a sensitive topic for the both of them, but the affect it had on him was significantly greater. The ache that came with this topic was one she had locked within herself long ago, choosing to move on, but Sasuke let it consume him. And because he wasn't showing any progress, Kakashi decided the only way to revive him was to help him find some closure.

"He is alive," Sasuke said, his eyes narrowing. He was trying to hold back the pain that swelled up inside him every time Naruto's name was mentioned.

"It's been five years, Sasuke," Kakashi spoke. "We're not saying the he is or isn't, but you at least need _try_ to move past it."

"I'll move past it once I find him and bring him back," the boy hissed, infuriated at how no one thought Naruto was alive. He didn't care whether they declared him dead or not. Sasuke never believed that for a minute. He would have searched for Naruto himself if he were permitted to do so.

Kakashi ran his hand through his hair, feeling exhausted. "Listen, if I didn't believe he was alive either, I wouldn't have asked the Hokage to let you go on this mission."

Sakura nodded in agreement, though she was still a little doubtful about the whole plan. It seemed too risky but for Sasuke's sake, she would go and hope for a miracle.

"So…" Sasuke said after a moment, feeling a little awkward. "Who's the third teammate?"

Kakashi smiled. The boy was clearly trying to suppress his emotions, that much was evident. He never would have thought at the beginning when he was first assigned as their sensei that the bond between Naruto and Sasuke was so thick. They constantly fought and bickered about everything. But soon enough, he realized that that's how they showed their affection and that's why he could understand how lost and depressed Sasuke felt when Naruto never returned from his mission. He himself never fully recovered from losing one of his own students so he could only imagine the pain Sasuke held inside.

"His name is Ryuu."

"Ryuu?" Sasuke and Sakura said in sync.

"Yes, he's in the Foundation and—"

"No," Sasuke objected again.

"—And you _will_ accept him into your team," Kakashi concluded.

"He's in the Foundation."

"What's wrong with the Foundation?" Sakura questioned, honestly curious as to why her teammate held such strong convictions.

"The Foundation is under the control of Danzo, he's can't be trusted," Sasuke said.

Kakashi wasn't oblivious to the Uchiha's opposition to Danzo. He himself got bad vibes from the man. But Danzo was present at the meeting when Kakashi had requested Tsunade to let Sasuke and Sakura handle this operation involving Orochimaru and had proposed that one of his own join Team 7. Tsunade, not having anyone else available to complete the team—and they needed one more in order to set out—accepted his offer leaving Kakashi hesitant to ask her otherwise since she had finally allowed for the request his student had asked so many times for. He didn't want her to change her mind, especially since Orochimaru made her go into her rage-mode. So whoever was going to be sent their way, they were stuck with.

"From what I've heard, he is one of the Foundation's best. You should be grateful," Kakashi argued, pushing aside his own oppositions.

Sasuke shook his head. "I refuse to work with—"

His speech was cut short when something flickered onto the premises, emitting a small puff of smoke that quickly vanished to reveal an anbu wearing a mask with two red swirls, one above right eyehole and the other below the left.

"I apologize for the delay," he spoke, his voice oddly soft and husky, making Sasuke's brow quirk up.

"No worries," Kakashi said, waving it off. "Ryuu, from the Foundation?"

Ryuu nodded, "Yes, I was instructed to join Team 7 with Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura."

Kakashi was on the edge about Sasuke blurting out how he hated the Foundation, but thankfully he hadn't said a word up till now. It would all go to waste if these two clashed and the Orochimaru mission was cancelled. That would result in Sasuke crawling back into depression and not achieving the closure he needed to shift his mind away from the event that occurred five years ago.

"That's right, these are the two," Kakashi signaled to his students.

Ryuu turned to them and bent forward into a small bow. "I look forward to working with the both of you."

Sasuke grinded his teeth, jaw tightening. His dark orbs pierced through the eyeholes of the anbu's mask. There was something slightly peculiar about him, though Sasuke couldn't pinpoint what. The man was roughly as tall as Sasuke and very well built, a few veins protruding on his bare arms. It was hard to tell through the mask but his dark red eyes had a calm yet extraordinarily intense look to them, making the Uchiha wonder what was lurking behind them. But if he was one of Danzo's men, there was probably an ulterior motive—better to keep him close under their watchful eye. The Foundation leader's outlook on the Uchihas was more than obvious and he'd rather not take any chances so he supposed he could tolerate this new member for now.

Kakashi was about to intervene but Sasuke beat him to it, forcing his lips to curve up into a smile.

"Welcome to team seven."

 **(✇) (✇)**

Naruto's eyelids cracked open to darkness as his consciousness gradually returned to him. Setting his hands on the cold floor, he tried to push himself up but found it impossible. His arms felt weak. Rolling over onto his back, an excruciating pain ran up his spine, making him suddenly aware of the soreness inhabiting his body.

"Hello," he attempted to speak, but his throat was dry and nothing came out. He coughed several times, clearing his throat. "Hello! Anyone!"

This time it came out as a whisper, though it brought him some comfort to hear his own voice. He groaned, frustrated by the unknown. Where was he? Why was he here? He was lying on a bitter cold floor, blinded by the dark, and struggling to gain a control of his own body.

He was helpless.

"Hello!" he called out again, this time light beamed in from his left as a door slid open to reveal the blurry outline of a man. He squinted, having trouble seeing anything clearly and then heard something clang against the hard ground, sliding down until it bumped his hand. Then the door slammed shut, leaving him in the darkness once again.

Grazing his hand across the object beside him, his fingers skimmed over something mushy.

 _Food_.

As if on cue, a low grumble resounded from within him, the hunger in his stomach very evident. Forcing with all his might to sit up, his back elevated three inches off the ground before hitting the ground with a soft _thud_. Naruto moaned, his head throbbing.

Resisting the tears that were threatening to escape, he dug his fingers into the contents on the tray and shoved it into his mouth, forcing it down his throat. His throat burned every time he swallowed, yearning for water.

It wasn't long before he had devoured down everything, not realizing how famished he truly was. Coughing, he made an effort to speak again.

"Is anyone there?" he yelled, this time his voice resonating in it's full volume and echoing off the walls of what he sensed to be a very cramped area.

He heard whispers coming from the direction where the door was opened a short while ago.

"Let me out!" he roared, becoming somewhat claustrophobic. But no one answered. And whatever he just ate made his stomach churn, a nauseous feeling overtaking him.

' _Don't throw up. DON'T throw up_.'

He pushed down the sensation, swallowing his saliva.

' _Deep breaths_. _This is just a dream.'_

' _I need to wake up_.'

' _WAKE UP.'_

"WAKE UP!" he screamed out loud, slamming his hands on the concrete. Why was no one answering him? He distinctly heard voices outside this place that they—whoever _they_ were—had locked him up in. His breaths were getting heavier, and the tears he held back now flowed down his cheeks.

He couldn't move. He didn't know where he was. His body was in pain. And he couldn't do anything. How did he even get here?

His mind was clouded by these thoughts but before they could develop any further, he drifted back into unconsciousness.

 **(✇) (✇)**

He woke up again from the sound of the door slamming. Something cool was touching his fingers.

 _Food_.

This was the fourth time now. Or was it? He lost count. First he'd wake up, then the door slid open, someone—he couldn't recognize the face, his vision still blurry—threw in a tray of food, he struggled to feed himself and then a few minutes later, passed out. The same routine over and over. And his strength wasn't returning to him either. Instead, he grew weaker each time he rose from the dead.

Was this what his life had come down to?

On the bright side, some of his memories, bits by bits, crawled back into him.

He vaguely remembered his journey with Jiraiya… they were on a mission… and then everything went blank. He groaned, gnashing his teeth. _Why couldn't he remember?_

To top it all off, the smell of his urine filled the room. Getting up was no longer an option, so he had to resort to relieving his bladder right where he lay.

He was going to rot in here. In his own piss.

Just as he was about to surrender to this terrible fate, the door slithered open. This time there were three figures, two who entered and one remained.

"Who are you?" Naruto said, his will to fight drained from him.

"Get him washed and bring him to me," the man at the entrance commanded, ignoring him completely. The two men within the room held Naruto by his arms and hoisted him up, a numbing sensation rippling down from his neck to his feet.

Irritated at how they disregarded what he said, a fire sparked within the boy. He pushed back, thrashing his arms. He refused to go anywhere with these psycho freaks who thought they could abuse him however they desired. But he would soon learn that things were going to get worse from this point.

Danzo stared at the boy. Naruto glared back.

"Deal with him how you see fit."

One of the men struck Naruto's back, whatever strength he had left in him dissolving into nothingness.

* * *

 **(A/N): And there you have it folks! The first chapter of a story that I actually, for once, have an outline laid out for from start to finish... though with my MCAT preparations, I'm not quite sure when the next chapter will be released. Hopefully soon though!**

 **ALSO, just something I'll go ahead and tell you now: Unlike in the manga, in this story, Sasuke never left Konoha. Why? Because he didn't need to kill Itachi. Why? Because Itachi stayed with him after the massacre since he had a very convenient alibi saying he wasn't responsible for the bloodshed... SO he was able to stay. Details on that will be revealed in future chapters but that isn't a major part of the story so don't dwell too much on that. This is just so you're not sitting there completely confused. :D**

 **ALRIGHTY. If you liked this chapter, or even if you didn't, your reviews will be much appreciated! Anything you loved about the story or hated or think needs improvement, I would love your feedback. I welcome any and all constructive criticism so don't hesitate to say what's on your mind!**

 **Till next time, my lovelies.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I wrote another chapter! Faster than I previously expected. Perhaps I'll make this a weekly thing... I think updating weekly is doable. And as someone who isn't just a writer but a reader too, I understand how nice it is when authors have specific schedules they abide by when it comes to updates. Doesn't leave the reader blind about when they'll get a new chapter.**

 **Okay, so quick replies to some reviews:**

 **Aspyn:** Thank you for such a sweet review! Made my day! And I can sympathize with your brother, I'm sure he's glad that he's done taking it! As for my story: Sai _may_ show up, I haven't decided yet, but you'll see in the upcoming chapters (unless you figure it out) why I chose to use an "OC." :)

 **PrincessAnime08:** Yes! There will be an explanation for Naruto's death in upcoming chapters! All in good time.

 **Dragonic Warlord The Ace:** I hope this chapter answers your first question, other than that I can only say that Danzo's role is part of the bigger picture so you'll find out as the story unfolds. Same thing for Sai, you'll know eventually.

 **Alright, my wonderful readers, read on!**

 **~SW~**

* * *

Spinning on his heel, he barely dodged the fist that whipped right past him. His breathing was heavy. His forehead covered in sweat. Sasuke was having more trouble than he could recall when it came to sparring.

He blocked the next kick with his arms, using that force to leap back, his shoes gliding in reverse on the grass, allowing the friction to bring him to a stop. If he was being honest with himself, this was expected. When was the last time he actually had one-on-one combat with anyone? The missions the Hokage assigned him never really required him to apply himself to his max level because they considered him _psychologically vulnerable_.

He had lost his touch. It was upsetting.

His opponent tried to hook his left leg with his own, trying to throw him to the ground. Sasuke turned forward and to his right, smacking his left hand against the middle of the man's back as he slid past.

Biting his lip, the raven concentrated on his teammate's movements. He should have won by now, he was an Uchiha. He was stronger than this. But Ryuu was damned fast. So fast that Sasuke almost activated his sharingan just so he could keep up.

Slowing down unconsciously, Sasuke lifted his arms to protect himself against his opponent who was charging straight for him. Ready to embrace the impact, he waited a second only to feel a waft of air hit his face before his face slapped against the ground.

"Fuck," he cursed, seething. Ryuu had feigned a frontal attack, instead spinning around Sasuke and pinning him down from behind.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Sakura asked her sensei as they watched from a distance.

He nodded. "This is probably the best thing we could have done for Sasuke. I don't know why I didn't think of this before."

" _Best_ thing? I mean…" she said, frowning at Sasuke's defeat for the fourth time in a row. "This is going to drive him insane."

"Exactly," Kakashi smiled, causing Sakura to gawk at the man, confused by his logic.

"I may have passed at the top of my class, but I honestly don't know where you're going with this," Sakura finally replied after considering his perspective.

"Look," Kakashi pointed at his dark-haired pupil.

"Look at what?" she said.

"His expression," Kakashi specified. "Do you remember the last time he had such an expression on his face?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed, focusing on Sasuke's face. His brows were scrunched together, his mouth drawn into a thin line, and… fire sparked in his eyes. The passion to win and succeed and achieve that everyone thought vanished, she captured a glimpse of in that scene.

"I see it," she whispered, elated. The passion she saw wasn't nearly as intense as it once used to be but _something_ was there. And all it took was someone to challenge him and take him seriously. Everyone had been tiptoeing around the boy; the desolation he coated himself in caused those around him to be careful of what they said and did, especially since they had never witnessed the Uchiha boy so disturbed.

" _What_ did you say to me?" Sasuke yelled, breaking Sakura's cozy thoughts in seconds. Returning her attention to her teammates, she spotted a furious raven who looked ready to destroy something. Standing up to rush over, an arm obstructed her path.

"Kakashi sensei, they're about to kill each other!" Sakura stressed, but Kakashi shook his head.

"Let him handle this."

Sasuke's hands curled into a ball, this man irritated him to no end—and it'd only been a day. This time, this mission, they were all so crucial and so important to Sasuke. And he knew it was unfair to throw all the pent up anger he had been storing within him towards all that went wrong in his life at this new guy, but something about Ryuu just annoyed him. Perhaps, it was the fact that he beat him _four_ times. Or maybe that despite taking off his anbu mask, he wore another mask underneath similar to the one Kakashi sported. Even Kakashi found that odd, but unlike Sasuke, had shrugged it off.

It already bothered him that Ryuu was one of Danzo's minions but the fact that Ryuu covered his face made him even more suspicious and uneasy. He had heard some time ago that Danzo was partially behind the Uchiha massacre and was wary of anyone and anything that held ties to that malicious man.

Ryuu sighed. "You're letting your anger get the best of you. I only said you need to focus."

Sasuke twitched. "What do you think I've been doing this entire time?"

"Orochimaru is a very strong opponent and if we encounter him during the investigation, we need to be prepared. I ju—"

"What the hell do you know about Orochimaru?" Sasuke shouted, cutting him off.

"I know enough," the anbu said calmly.

"You know _nothing_ , so don't talk as if you do," Sasuke hissed, chucking the kunai in his pocket at Ryuu, which whipped right by his ear, stabbing the tree behind him.

"Sasuke!" Sakura called, running up to him but he walked right by her. He was done here.

"Stay here, both of you. I'll go talk to him," Kakashi said, doing a one-eighty and following the Uchiha out of the premises.

Sakura stood quietly, unsure of what to do. Little conversation had passed between her and their new teammate since their meeting the previous morning.

"Do you want to practice?" Ryuu said, sensing her discomfort.

Sakura looked up, raising a brow at his proposal.

"We're short on time. Understanding our team dynamic and our fighting styles will prove advantageous," he clarified.

"You're right," she sighed, getting into position. "Also… I'm sorry about Sasuke."

A leg flew towards her face and she blocked it, returning the blow.

"No, I should have realized what I was saying bothered him," he said, easily dodging the punch. "That kunai he threw though…"

"He's not the friendliest," Sakura joked. She had to agree that that was a bit over-the-top of Sasuke.

"I could tell that much. I don't expect us to become instant buddies," he said.

Sakura laughed, swinging her leg at her opponent. "Yeah, especially since he hates your guts."

Ryuu caught her leg and shoved it away, making her stumble back. "He… hates me?"

The hurt in his voice surprised Sakura. He had been so emotionless and indifferent this whole time that she didn't think him capable of expressing any feelings whatsoever.

"Umm, well, I thought it was obvious…" she replied lamely, wishing she could take back what she said. "I mean its nothing against you!"

Ryuu narrowed his eyes. "So he hates me but it has nothing to do with me?"

Wow, that was _exactly_ it. And it sounded way worse out loud, Sakura thought. She was going to have to talk to Sasuke about toning down his anger.

"No, no, he doesn't hate you," she said hastily. "He's just very _guarded_ when it comes to new people… or people in general. Please don't take it the wrong way."

Ryuu nodded slowly, looking a little conflicted. "Have I… intruded on something?"

Sakura tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"It just seems like there is a lot more going on aside from this mission," he said, but then added, "I had brought up Orochimaru."

Ah, so that's why Sasuke was yelling… and then threw the kunai. She sighed.

"No, you're not intruding. He's just very… sensitive when it comes to Orochimaru because…" she trailed off, she shouldn't be saying anymore.

"Did something happen?" Ryuu asked.

"It was a long time ago, but it's not really my place to say."

"I understand," he said, looking behind Sakura to see Sasuke reentering the training field. Sakura turned around herself and saw the boy heading towards them.

"Just so we're on the same page, its probably best not to mention what we just talked about," she whispered quickly.

Ryuu nodded just as soon as the Uchiha neared the two.

Pretending like nothing happened, Sasuke strolled past them and grabbed his kunai still stuck in the tree, pulling it out. There was a rolled up paper in his hand that he unfolded it, using his kunai to pin it to the same tree.

"Here's the layout for the investigation," Sasuke said, finally facing them. "We need to have this down before heading out three days from now."

Sakura smiled to herself, amused. She would have to thank Kakashi later. She didn't know what he must have said... or _done_ … to get Sasuke to come back here, but whatever it was, it worked. She observed Ryuu who was quietly listening and hoped what she said earlier didn't have too much of an effect on him. Though, even if it did, his cool demeanor gave absolutely nothing away, leaving her with no doubt of how skilled he was in his profession.

They discussed different scenarios, ingesting each approach into their memory and eventually coming to a conclusion a few hours later.

"I think we covered everything," Sakura murmured, mentally fatigued. "So I'll see the you guys tomorrow."

She felt it a bit risqué to leave her two oh-so-loving teammates by themselves, but this day had dragged out long enough and she wanted to rest up since they would be practicing nonstop until the day of their departure.

Sasuke and Ryuu inattentively bobbed their heads at her. This was probably going to get real awkward after she left, but she was too tired to bother herself with it.

Watching her wave goodbye, Sasuke called out to her in his mind, wanting her to stay. _He_ knew that _she_ knew how awkward it was about to get. Did she really have to leave first? Rolling up the paper containing the strategy they outlined, he plotted in his mind how to get revenge on her.

"Do you want to get food?" Ryuu asked, breaking the silence.

Sasuke looked up, staring. Did he hear that right?

Ryuu heaved a sigh, scratching the back of his head uncomfortably. "I asked if—"

"Sure," Sasuke interjected and then slapped himself in his head. Several times. Why did he agree? He started coming up with theories as to why he could have agreed all ending with how much of an idiot he was. Well, if anything, at least he could try to subtly squeeze out the reason Danzo placed him on their team. That, and as much he hated to admit it, it would be nice to hang out with someone besides Sakura (who usually forced him), his brother (who also usually forced him), or Kakashi. Even if that someone was one of Danzo's pawns possibly ordered to learn everything about him only to stab him in the back at the right moment. But that seemed a little farfetched.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Ichiraku's," Sasuke replied instinctively.

Ryuu blinked, coughing into hand.

"I mean—"

"No, that's fine," the anbu said, regaining his composure.

Sasuke wasn't convinced, believing the man was lying to him. "If you don't like it—"

"No, no. It's nothing like that," Ryuu said, shaking his head. "I was just surprised by how quickly you answered."

Sasuke's face heated up. "I… it was just the first place that came to mind."

"As long as its good," Ryuu said, smiling beneath his mask.

"It is," the raven assured him, though with a sadder tone, "It's the… best ramen you'll ever have."

Ryuu sensed the melancholy, but didn't question him any further.

"Lead the way."

— — —

They had stripped him of his clothes and thrown him under the gushing water. Still weak, his body just flopped to the ground, the cold water hitting him as the two guards watched.

It was humiliating.

Naruto tried to ignore the two pair of eyes on him and wiped his hands over his face and body, as far as his arms could reach, cleansing himself. He let the fluid rush into his mouth, rinsing away the taste of vomit. Breathing in deeply, he considered allowing the water to drown him but they pulled him out before his thoughts could become actions.

"I'm not done yet!" he protested but they ignored him, taking him into another room. Setting him down on the floor, one of the guards hurled some strange garments at him.

"Put these on, boy," he instructed.

Naruto looked down at what they gave him.

 _Uniforms_.

They didn't appear to be the usual anbu uniforms, keeping him still in the dark about his location. He had yet to figure out where he was… if only his vision could return to its original clarity. He could barely make out the features on faces, though even if he could, he was sure he wouldn't recognize any. No one he knew would do this to him. He hoped.

Clothing himself in what he was given, he felt to some extent relaxed in this fresh attire as opposed to a puddle of his own piss and vomit. The two men lifted him once more and dragged him away, most likely to their boss since he was 'presentable' now.

At the least, he could sense the strength in his legs returning.

— — —

A foot connected with his stomach, the force causing Naruto to coast across the floor. He didn't understand. They fed him, cleaned him, and clothed him… just so they could beat the shit out of him?

A circle of anbu in similar uniforms surrounded him. He struggled to stand but whatever strength he had left, it was dying.

Another kick, this time to his chest. He coughed out blood, his body becoming numb.

"What the hell do you want from me?!" he screamed, slowly losing his senses.

One of the anbu turned to Danzo who was silently monitoring the scene from an elevated platform. He offhandedly waved to the anbu to continue who briefly nodded to his fellow companions.

Another punch. Another kick. Naruto screamed, his eyes flickering orange.

" _You have no one here_ ," he heard a voice in his head. " _They will kill you, boy_."

' _Shut up!'_ he yelled in his mind. ' _I'll end them all!_ '

Naruto's eyes wandered down to his feet, he stood in a stream of water. Darkness engulfed him. And then he saw two large slits intently looking down at him behind massive bars.

' _Kyuubi_ ,' Naruto exhaled.

" _Listen kit, you need to stay alive_ ," Kyuubi growled.

Naruto frowned. ' _What happens if I die?_ '

" _If you die, I'll be released,"_ Kyuubu replied.

' _Isn't that what you want?'_ Naruto scoffed. ' _I don't know where I am, what I'm doing here, and none of my friends have rescued me yet. I don't care if I die. It'll be a win-win for both of us, so just_ let _me.'_

Kyuubi roared. " _Is_ that _what you think, kit? You haven't lived long enough. Your world is cruel to demons. You die and they'll seal me into another container._ "

' _What do you want_ me _to do?_ ' Naruto cried. ' _Because there is_ nothing _I can do… even if I wanted to help you_.'

Kyuubi placed his paw against the cage. " _I'll lend you my chakra, kit."_

Naruto sighed. ' _I have nothing to lose at this point_.'

Closing his eyes, he let Kyuubi's chakra pour into him, feeling the energy empower him. But slowly it was taking control; it was too much at once. A tail formed from the chakra and Naruto's canines grew more prominent, jutting out of his mouth, grimacing as his eyes flashed open to reveal slitted pupils.

He growled, a low rumble that caused the anbu to back up. His sight had returned and his gaze first landed on the man distinct from the rest forming seals with his hands.

His feet began moving on their own and then running. Naruto leaped, about to claw the man when a brute force hit him, and he collapsed onto the ground.

"Now!" Danzo ordered and the anbu quickly assembled into a circle around Naruto. They all executed identical hand signs repeatedly, a script of chains coating over Naruto until he was completely tied down. Regardless, he pushed and shoved and cried, fighting against it all.

Danzo strode up to him, forming one last hand sign and pressing his palm against Naruto's stomach. All the seal chains binding him flew into his stomach, transforming the seal on his stomach to spread across his chest and around his back.

The boy screamed.

They were permanently gluing the kyuubi's chakra that had seeped out to his body. The pain was excruciating, his insides were burning.

" _WHAT DID YOU DO?"_ he cried, desperate to end the fire coursing through him.

Danzo ushered a few of his men to hold down the jinjuriki.

"You will learn to control it over time," Danzo said apathetically. "For the good of Konoha."

* * *

 **Confused? I hope its starting to make some sense. I apologize that things are going a bit slow but it'll pick up speed soon! Be patient with me, please!**

 **Any questions, any comments, anything at all you'd like me to know, please leave a review!**

 **Reviews motivate me to write like a fat kid running towards chocolate cake. xD**


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